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Jeff Bezos Blocks Kamala Harris Endorsement; Washington Post Faces Resignations, 200,000 Subscriber Losses

Oct 28, 2024, 06:39 PM

The Washington Post announced on Friday that it will no longer endorse presidential candidates, ending a 30-year tradition of supporting Democratic nominees, including endorsements of Joe Biden in 2020 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. The decision was reportedly made by the newspaper's owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who allegedly blocked a planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris after a meeting with Post leaders in Miami in late September. Bezos has remained silent on the matter. The move has sparked internal upheaval, with two of nine editorial board members resigning in protest, including David Hoffman and Molly Roberts. Longtime reporter David Maraniss expressed his dismay, stating, "The paper I've loved working at for 47 years is dying in darkness." The paper has also faced backlash from readers, with more than 200,000 subscribers canceling their digital subscriptions by midday Monday—approximately 8% of its subscriber base. This is significant, considering the Post's net gain for most of 2024 was only 4,000 subscribers. Washington Post CEO William Lewis stated that the paper is "returning to [its] roots" and will avoid endorsements in future presidential elections.